Light of the World

Light of the World

Sandra Dubois

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (WEB)

Jesus said of Himself, that He is the light of the world. In the beginning, God separated the light from the darkness. The darkness is not only the absence of light, but according to the ancient Hebrew, it’s a physical thing that occupies time and space; a prison that crushes. Darkness is something to be avoided at all costs! When I follow Jesus, He promises that I won’t walk in that terrible place of darkness and doom.

In my life, I need to invite Jesus’ light into every single space. He doesn’t want to just come into my life, and sit politely in the front room—He wants to completely clean out, rearrange, and even rebuild every part of my house. So why do I hold onto a rickety old wall, or some piles of stinky old stuff, when Jesus wants to build a beautiful mansion of my life?

Light can be glaring and harsh, like the fluorescent light that shows every imperfection in its rays, or it can be warm and comforting, like a crackling fire on a cold night. Jesus is a gentleman, and His light is always exactly right. Sometimes His light needs to be direct, like a surgeon’s lamp, to focus on an area He needs to remove, to heal. Sometimes His light is soft and gentle, like a nightlight, in our lowest moments, when all seems dark, yet we know He’s there, glowing in the dark. Sometimes His light sparkles like millions of stars across the sky, making our hearts sing with the heavens. Sometimes His light warms us, deep inside, and we know, that we know, that we know, that we are loved with the best, warmest, brightest, ever-radiant Light of All.

Let the Light of the World shine through your life as you follow Him.

Questions:

1) In what areas have you been afraid to let Jesus’ light shine?

2) What are your thoughts about Jesus’ light be different depending on our situation and our need?

3) What does the light of Jesus look like to you today?